By Alvin Lansana Kargbo

The Government of Sierra Leone, through the Ministry of Mines and Mineral Resources and the National Minerals Agency (NMA), has endorsed the formal commencement of development works at the Sembehun (Area 5) Rutile Expansion Project, underscoring its strategic role in national industrial policy and long-term economic diversification. The groundbreaking ceremony, held on Thursday, 26 February 2026, signals the transition of Sierra Rutile Holdings Limited into a new operational phase that Government officials describe as transformative for the mining sector and the broader economy.

Sembehun is widely recognized in the global mining industry as one of the largest and highest-grade natural rutile deposits in the world, a critical mineral that feeds the global titanium dioxide supply chain and supports industries from aerospace and advanced manufacturing to pigments and welding consumables. Definitive feasibility analysis projects the Sembehun deposits to contain more than 173 million tonnes of ore at high rutile grades, with an estimated annual output of roughly 175,000 tonnes of rutile at steady state over a 14-year mine life.

In remarks at the site in Bagruwa Chiefdom, Moyamba District, Alhaji Hadji Daboh, Director General of the National Minerals Agency (NMA), described the event as a historic milestone for Sierra Leone’s extractives sector. He said the project, now fully locally owned, marks the first large-scale mining operation under Sierra Leonean capital following the 2024 acquisition of Sierra Rutile by Leonoil Company Limited, a development the Government views as a strategic advancement in national empowerment and control over mineral resources.

The DG framed the Sembehun project as a tangible outcome of President Julius Maada Bio’s economic agenda, which seeks to shift mining away from export-oriented raw extraction toward value creation, skills development and community transformation. He emphasized that securing a $70 million syndicated financing line, including $40 million from Ecobank Sierra Leone, underscores growing investor confidence in Sierra Leone’s reform environment, fiscal stability and governance improvements.

With implementation projected to support infrastructure development, job creation and robust revenue streams, he said Sembehun could significantly bolster foreign exchange earnings and fiscal receipts over its life. Expected outcomes highlighted by the NMA DG include expanded local employment opportunities, enhanced training and skills development and infrastructure upgrades, ranging from transportation networks to energy and social services, in and beyond Moyamba District.

Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources, Julius D. Mattai, reiterated the Government’s commitment to harnessing Sierra Leone’s mineral wealth for broad-based development. Drawing from his own trajectory from miner to Minister, he framed the project as a definitive step in realizing a sector that benefits Sierra Leoneans at all levels, from ownership to operational participation and downstream economic impact.

Minister Julius D. Mattai emphasized the importance of a strong legal framework anchored on the Mines and Minerals Development Act 2023, he says has established a structured governance model to ensure transparency, accountability and equitable benefit sharing among investors, communities and the state. He affirmed inter-agency cooperation, particularly with the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Revenue Authority, to enforce compliance with environmental and fiscal obligations.

The Minister stressed that modern mining must conform to rigorous environmental and social standards. He said, in addition to regulatory compliance measures already approved, Sierra Rutile is expected to meet stringent conditions on land use, water resource protection and community engagement as part of its Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessment and Management Plan, requirements overseen by the Environmental Protection Agency of Sierra Leone.

Alhaji Mohamed Babatunde Cole, Executive Chairman of Sierra Rutile Holdings Limited, described the groundbreaking as more than ceremonial; it represents operationalization of a long-anticipated mining phase that industry stakeholders have tracked for decades. Babatunde Cole underscored that relocation of a world-class processing plant from abroad was designed to optimize capital expenditure and accelerate deployment, while enhancing the company’s competitive standing in global rutile markets.

Sierra Rutile, historically one of the world’s leading producers of natural rutile and one of Sierra Leone’s largest private-sector employers, has faced operational challenges in recent years as existing deposits approached depletion. Officials indicate that Sembehun will extend the company’s productive life by more than a decade and help address an impending global supply shortage of rutile, which is expected as existing first-tier deposits worldwide decline.

As groundbreaking works transition into full project execution, the Government says it will remain vigilant in monitoring compliance, enforcing local content obligations and maximizing socio-economic impact. Officials describe Sembehun not simply as a mining investment but as a cornerstone of Sierra Leone’s long-term industrial development strategy, one that positions the nation to compete in critical mineral markets while promoting domestic capacity, transparency and shared prosperity. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/government-positions-sembehun-area-5-as-strategic-national-asset-as-sierra-rutile-breaks-ground/